Gainsthorpe Medieval Village

Gainsthorpe Medieval Village is a must to visit if you’re in Lincolnshire!

This historic site is of an actual deserted medieval village and it’s one of the best examples in England.  This village was clearly mentioned in the Domesday Book which states that it had a windmill and a chapel in 1208 but was deserted by the late 17^th century.

Gainsthorpe lies in a field belonging to Gainsthorpe Farm. The typical medieval layout of sunken roads and raised rectangular tofts [homesteads] and crofts are clearly seen in the humps and hollows of the field and the remains of over 200 buildings still stand.

There’s a pair of streets that are parallel to the Roman street to the east suggesting that the village was established in those times.  There’s also a manor house, a fishpond, barns, longhouses and crofts for you to visit and explore.

No one knows why the village was abandoned but legend says that it was a haven for thieves and their corruption led to the village’s downfall.  More simple explanations come from the evidence of the Black Plague during that time.

It’s open all year round and entrance is free!

There is a small car park from where a footpath of about two hundred metres leads to the site.